live in Denver (2008)

Everyone was amped on Broadway Street for the popular punk rock show --tonight, the headliner being the legendary Bouncing Souls.

The night started off with the local band Animo. I have seen this band a total of three times now while warming up for other bands and I will admit that i think they are quite good. I saw them with Big D and the Kids Table at the Marquis and Authority Zero at the Gothic. They are very entertaining but struggle to generate much crowd response. The have loads of energy -- a fast-paced punk rock feel with somewhat pop-punk lyrics and sound. I would reccomend checking them out though at the Kevin Says stage this summer at Warped if you are attending. They won't dissapoint.

Next up was the rapidly growing Static Radio NJ. Now, I know everyone says this about them, but they do sound like Kid Dynamite. They were fast-paced, edgy and mildly entertaining with their in-your-face punk. The crowd seemed almost irritated by them, though, and when some lady yelled that the pit sucked and needed to pick it up, it got kinda ugly. The singer yelled at her to get her ass down. And the set just slipped away from them, almost angering the crowd.

Denver's own Love Me, Destroyer was up third. They seem to have a decent fanbase growing around the city but I wasn't very impressed. About half the crowd got into them and half ignored their set because the Souls were all that mattered.

As expected at a Souls show, everyone was anxious to a max. With the "Here We Go" and "OLE!" chants picking up five minutes before set time, everyone was amped. Finally, the moment arrived. Greg and the rest of the crew took the stage and the crowd went nuts. They ripped straight into the classic "Hopeless Romantic" and it went crazy. The pit was in full force and adrenaline was at maximum. They then tore into fast-paced themes "Say Anything" and "That Song," the latter being off The Gold Record. They then slowed into melodic anthems "Lean on Sheena" and Kids and Heroes." They mixed it up in the middle with a string of the Misfits' "Hybrid Moments(acoustic)," a Johnny Cash cover of "Folsom Prison Blues" and "Joe Lies(When He Cries)."

Everyone was now covered in sweat and the pit was going crazy. They moved into "No Security" and "East Coast! Fuck You!" which didn't exactly fit for a Denver show, but it's a classic and I wasn't complaining. They ended with a bang, ripping out "Sing Along Forever" and "True Believers."

Everyone was totally satisfied and all 900-1000 people left completely happy. I drifted to the front after it ended and managed to snag a set list from the crew guy to top it off. But overall, a great punk rock show at the Gothic on Broadway in Denver.